BITS AND BOBS OF THIS AND THAT

Main menu

Post navigation

I have developed an awful cold. I seldom get sick anymore, but several visits to the mall, the gym, and various doctor’s offices recently put me at risk of receiving someone’s infectious germs. I am fanatical about hand washing and using disinfectant wipes, and avoid contact with visibly sick individuals. Nevertheless, a bug caught me.

Supposedly, as we grow older our immune system grows weaker. I hope not. I spent far too much time when I was younger suffering with colds, bronchitis, pneumonia. Mom told me I nearly died when I was six months old, saved only by penicillin, which became available shortly before I was born.

—000—

We stayed home today for a variety of reasons, mostly me being sick. Kathy says ‘Don’t worry,” there will be plenty of opportunities to get involved. She’s hosting a gathering on Saint Valentine’s Day for the new Brothers. I really like one of them, a former chain-smoking NYC cop. He’s seen everything. Now he just wants to lead a contemplative life. Given the meditation woods behind the Abbey he should find some peace. However, the Abbey is sited in a part of DC known for its crime rate..Kathy says. Kathy thinks the presence of an ex-cop could prove beneficial. However, I don’t think crime fighting what Brother Isaiah had in mind when he joined the Abbey.

—000—

I spent most of the morning installing my new printer, which has one wire that carries electricity to the unit (no batteries), so its not devoid of wires. I found the internet connection, so eventually, I will make the prints travel through cyberspace, although t present they are flying somewhere else. Meanwhile I have ordered more computer “stuff” including a memory card, like those I never use in my camera. My oldest granddaughter is visiting this afternoon, so perhaps she can help me, although she’s the artist, not the tekke.

—000—

New Year’s Day the Washington Post featured it’s annual predictions…one of them the ‘What’s In and What’s Out” prognostications. What’s apparently out this year is WWII and what’s In is WWI given the 100th anniversary of it’s start in July 1914. To mark the auspicious occasion, I bought four books by historians on WWI, titles to be revealed after I read them. We read several books on WWI for the History of Britain and History of Twentieth Century European Cities grad history classes I took two years ago….a very sad and terrible event.

David’s Dad served with the US Expeditionary Forces during WWI and met David’s Russian Mom in Irkutsk Siberia.

Did you know US forces served along side Russian Forces under the Tzar at one time?

I did actually know that about the US and Russia …not sure why or how because I am only self-educated…. I hope your cold gets better soon(est). I was a sickly child and back then we got penicillin from the doctor every time we sneezed. Miracle drug and I’m sure I’ve developed a resistance to it…don’t get sick much any more. Knock wood. I keep reading how, at our age, it is good to keep our minds active by learning new things and I think … how can you not if you own a computer (and a cell phone). I already have enough new things to learn to keep my brain active for more years than I have left I’m sure!

We all need a bit of peace and quiet in our lives – helps wash away the trials and tribulation of everyday living. Like Gigi I’m at the point of mixing with others only when I want to – not turning my back on the world but choosing when where and with whom.
I always enjoy your look on life and how you can blend the old with the new – then and now. Isn’t it nice when others ‘share’ their germs with all of us – I’m not paranoid about picking them up but we are warned in the winter to be careful about hand washing etc.
Take care
Cathy

Sorry to hear about your cold; I find that I have fewer of them because I have had most varieties during my life and have built up immunity. Mind you, I had a stinker early January, also picked up from others who should know better than take their germs for walks in people’s houses.

Still busy intellectually, I see. That’s good. We oldies can’t afford to rest on our laurels, need to keep the grey cells oiled.

That’s a great photo of that castle in England. I’ve held a fascination for castles but remember learning how terribly cold they were when we saw the castle in Cardiff.

I’m sorry you’re feeling so ill, Dianne. I’m always nervous when we go some place where there’s a lot of people with all kinds of germs floating in the air… and we’ve been spending so much time in the hospital these days for this and that.

I am glad that cop left a life of violence to embrace life in an abbey. I love my present life, because it is peaceful and quiet. Though I see my husband on a daily basis, I welcome others only when I feel in the mood. I hated my childhood as a member of a rowdy 7 member family. There was absolutely no privacy back then. Ugh.